Feeding mechanism.



H. J. STEHLI.

FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED APR-21.1911.

' Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1911.

1,215,739. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF IoE HENRY .1. s'mnm, or non-rennin. new was, assmnoaro nwranr a non unrnnunarcan comm, a conronurron or new mass! FEEDING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. S'rnHLI, citizen of the United States'residing at Montclair,-in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improycments in Feeding Mechanisms, off-Which the following is a specification,.reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms of the class of those used for producing composite masses of materials be finally and continuously formed a relatively shallow stratum uniform throughout in itsdepth and other dimensions, and constituting a body which is, throughout, uniform in physical condition and chemical constitution at all points, from a number of initial predetermined and measured masses difi'erin from each other physically and chemis ca 1 and whereby there can be close and accurate inspection of the composite, mass prior to the complete comminglingof the various initial strata to guide in varying or modifying the quantities, conditions and qualities of the several materials that are 'being sup lied; and whereby the conditions and qua ities of the mass finally obtained can be varied at option.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have shown for purposes of illustration that form of mechanism embodying my improvements which I at present deem preferable. However, numerous changes and modifications may be made within the scope of my invention. 1

Of the drawings,

Figure 1, is a side elevationof a feeding or proportioning mechanism embodying, my invention. For the sake of clearness' the row of hop ers nearest the observer have been omitte Fig. 3 is an-enlarged cross-sectional view- 50.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

taken along the line 3-3, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing one of the mixing devices.

Specification of Letteralatent.

Patented Fe b. 13, 1917.

Application filed Apr-1127, 1911. Serial No. 828,594.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation showing the mixing devices as viewed from the ini-- shown four pairs of op ositely disposed ho pers,'but it will be un erstood that any esired number of pairs, either more than or less than four, can be used. Each pair of hoppers is similar to each of the others and it will therefore be suflicient t) particularly describe but one pair with the parts immediately associated with them.-

Referring more especially to Fig. 3, it will be observed that each hopper is provided with a pyramidical or conical bottom 5, at

the lower apex of which is IIIOPGIliIl 6.

7, 7 are two endless flat feed b alts exten over the end pulleys 8, 8 and 9, 9. Other rollers 10, 10. are provided f1 )1 supporting "thefeed belts at points intermediate the pulleys 8, 8 and 9, 9. The pulleys 9, 9 are preferably made adjustable. The adjustment may be efiectedby means of screws 11, 11, or by any other usual or prefei red means.

Each of the hoppers is preferably provided with a communicating; housing 12" which projects downward. Ihis housing extends in the direction of the feed belt and has its lower edges immediat sly above the belt. The bottom of the housir is open At.

the bottom of the end wall 0 the housin 12 there is an opening in which is mounte a vertically adjustable gate or. ioor 13,which' can be adjusted by means of a lever 14.

Any desired structure can be used for 'supporting the hoppers and feed belts. In. the drawings, for the sake of illusi ration, I have shown up i hts 15, 15' for s1 lppo'rting' the hoppers. pon these are mounted longis tudinal channel sections 16,-1l. Transverse beams 17, preferably of wood, rest upon the I channel sections 16, 1 6 and 0a thesetrans verse beams 17 the feed belts are supported.

The feed belt pulleys 8, 8 are mounted upon longitudinal rotatable ;hafts 18, 18, The shafts 18, 18 carry spur gears 18', 18,

"which mesh with spur p1mo1 L5 18",, on the loo v shafts 18, 18". -These shafts 18, 18 are driven by a transverse shaft 19, to which they are connected by bevel-gearing 20.

21 is a feed or conveyer belt arranged parallel to and between the rows of hoppers which have been described. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper strand of this belt is supported by rollers 22, 22, arranged in sets of three, to hold the belt concaved or dished. The lower strand is supportedby pairs of rollers 23, 23. The belt 21 passes over and is supported at its ends by the large pulleys or rollers 24 and 25. V

26 is an inclined endless belt conveyer, the lower endrof which extends to a point beneath the dischar eend of the belt 21. This conveyer' 26 may e mounted upon any convenient frame-work, as, for instance, that indicated as a whole by 27. The upper end of. the 'conveyer 26 passes over the-pulley 28 on the shaft 29. The lower end passes over the pulley 30 on the shaft 31. 32 is a pulwith a pinion 38 on the shaft 39.

40 is the main drive shaft for the whole plant. This'shaft is connected with a suitable source of power by means of a belt passing over' the pulley 41. 42 is a jack-shaft parallel to the shaft 40 and is driven from it by means of a pair of cone pulleys 43, 44. The cone -43 is mounted on the shaft 42 and the cone 44 on a separate shaft 45. The shaft 45 carries a pulley 46. A belt 47 extending over the pulley 48 on the shaft 40 and over the pulley 46 on the shaft 45 serves to drive the cone 44. The cone 44 drives the cone 43 through the loop or belt 48 which serves as a friction device. This loop may be shifted from one end of the cones to the other by means of a suitable shipper, which is not shown. 49 is a belt pulley on the shaft 42. 50 is a pulley on the shaft 19. A belt 51 passing over these two pulleys serves to transmit power to the shaft 19. 52 and 53 are belt pulleys on the shafts 40 and 39 respectively. The belt 54 passing over thesetwo pulleys serves to transmit power to the shaft 39.

55 is a hopper mounted u on the framework 56 to receive material discharged from the conveyer 26. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, openings 57, 57' are provided in the bottom of the hopper at opposite sides. Endless feed belts 58, 58 are supported beneath these openings on rollers 59, 59. The rollers at the outer ends of the belts may be adjustable as indicated. The rollers, at the inner ends are mounted upon shafts 60, 60,

which carry the bevelears 61, 61. 62 is a short transverse sha uponv which are mounted bevel-pinions 63, 63. These bevelpinions mesh with the gears 61, 61. 64 is a spur gear on the shaft 62, and this meshes with-the spur pinion 65, on the shaft 66 which carries the belt pulley 67. 68 is a belt pulley on the shaft 42. A belt 69 passing over the pulley 68 serves to transmit power to the shaft 69, and a belt 69 transmits power from this shaft through the gearing, which has been described, to the belts 58,58.

Openings are provided in the outer walls of the ho per 55 at points immediately above the feed elts, Vertically adjustable doors 70 are mounted in these openin s. They are controlled by'means of levers 1, 71.

72, 72 are mixing and conveying troughs. Each of these troughs is arranged to receive at one end material discharged from one of the belts 58, 58. Through the center of each trough thereextends a rotatable shaft 7 3 upon which there are mounted oblique blades or paddles 74, 74. 75 is a bevel-gear mounted on one end of the shaft 73. This bevel-gear meshes with a bevel-pinion 76 on the shaft 77, the shaft also carrying a belt pulley. 78. 79,79 are belt pulleyson the shaft 42. Belts 80, 80 passing over the pulleys 7 8, 78, and the pulleys 79, 79 on the shaft 42 serve to transmit power through the gearing which has been described to the mixers within the troughs 72, 72.

81, 81 are water spray pipes each arranged above one of the mixing troughs 72, 72.

At the discharge end of each of the conveying and mixing troughs is an opening 82 into a distributing chute 83, the lower end of which opens into a hopper 84. The hoppers 84, 84 serve as feed reservoirs for the ore treatin machines 85, 85.

In the drawlngs, for the purposes of illustration, I have shown ore treating machines which are adapted to effect a sintering action. The machines which I have selected are similar to ,those shown and described in my co-pending application for apparatus for use in treating ores, filed ,May 13, 1910, Serial No. 561,116, which has matured into Patent 1,027,084, dated May 21, 1912.

Briefly considered this machine comprises a series of disconnected pallets 86, 86 which provided with perforate bottoms. These 89 provided for the purpose of receiving it.

90 represents one of two continuously rotat-' ing toothed wheels adapted to engage the pallets 86 to'return them to the upper art of the trackway and also to advance 1: em

toward the other end of the machine in an unbroken series. 91 is an air box over which the movin alletspass; A vacuum is maintained. wit in this box by means'of afan' or other suitable device connected to the pige92.

he wheels 90 are mounted'upon the shaft 93. This shaft also carries the large spurgear 94 which is connected by means of suitable reducing gearwith the belt pulley 95. 96, 96 are two belt pulleys on the shaft 42.

Bolts 97, 97 pass over thesepulleys and over the pulleys 95, 95 to the two sintering machines and serve to transmit power todrive the machines.

98 is a "gas pipe or equivalent device adapted to supply heat by a direct flame or otherwise to the upper surfacesrof material on the pallets 86 for a purpose to be hereinait'er described. y

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a track 99 may be provided upon which cars can be run for loading the initial ore hoppers.

The operation of the sintering machines which I have shown is as follows: The wheel 90 is rotated very slowly by the power transmitting devices, which have been described, and in this way the pallets 86 are lifted from the lower art of the track-way and forced slowly a ong the upper part in a continuous series. As they passunder the hopper 84 there is deposited on them a continuous layer of ore of uniform thickness.

,As this layer of" ore is carried beneath the.

gaspipe 98 the combustible elements in it,

such as sulfur, or carbon, are ignited. On account of the vacuum which is maintained within the air box 91, a continuous down draft. of .air is caused to pass through all 40 parts of the layer of material. This downdraft ofair causes the combustion to slowly progress-I: downward through the mass. -On account of the heat of combustion certain fusible elements of the ore are 'melted and theseby :unitingefiect the sintering of the ore" into substantially homogeneous porous blocks orecakes, which are broken. as at the end of the machine anddisc'hargedintd the car-:89 iThe rate oftravel of the -machine is so regulated that the oxidizing and sintering actionsare completed'at 'ornear the point ,ofdischarge of the cakes or blocks from the machine. On account of minor variations in the character of the'ore and on account of other conditions, it is frequently necessary .tochange the speed of the machine.

The ore to betreated brought in finely pulverized, condition by cars on track 99 to receptacles 1, 2, &c. Each of these receptacles holds many tons. .The mass inone comes from one mine; while thema'sses in the'others, respectively, come from other mines. No two m nesprovide ore-materials of the same physical an'dchemical constitution. And the supply from any one mine may suddenly or gradually vary in its characteristics. But the roas ting, sintering and smelting of the ores demand that there should be a certain proportion of each of r the constituent bodies for successfuboperation. a

In obtaining copper 1here should be in the mass that is introduced into the roast-' ing furnace certain 1'0 ortions, respectively, of copper, iron,'lei silica. And when the wasted ore reaches the smelting furnace there should be certain proportions of the matte sulfid, the metallic oxids and silica. And the same is true of the pulverulent law ore mass which (generally) and v reaches the holders at 86 in the. present illustration.

Avery slight variaticn inthe'se roportions will completely obtain the metal. a r A a To furnish a continuous stream or mass of commingled ores which will finally be tlwart the e ort to uniform throughout, in iespect to the standard and necessary proprrtions of its-ingredients, the receptacles 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., can

be arranged (as concerns their operation) in sets, of which sets taere will be at all times a series of two or more. For instance, we will assume that .jthe left hand hoppers 1,2 and 4 are selected to constitute a set during a given operation, and'that the right hand hoppers 1, 2, 3 ard 4, together with the left hand hopper 3, are selected to constitute another set. This means that the eight inch stratum which will be formedin the holders at 86 (and be formed there continuously' and indefinitely) canbe derived from the first set of rece ptaclesabove specified (the first, second, and fourth on the" left) or can be derived from thef'second set t '(the first, second, third and fourth on the right, and the third on the left) at option,

It means that the ores i1 the three specified receptacles ofthe first setare of such constitution and qualities taat three relatively deep sub-streams or sub-strata. taken from these three receptacles vill, when homo eneously commingled, provide for each on ic.

centimeter in the final mass at. 86 those relative proportions o'f cop per, iron, lead, sul fur and silica whichi are required for uniform reactions through out the eight inch stratum in the holders st 86; and also that if five shallower streams be taken respectively from the five receptacles of the other set an exactly similareig ht inch stratum will be formed at the same rate at 86 with the same chemical constitution in each cubic centimeter.

The feed belts 7, 7 inder eac'h pair of hoppers are continuously moved in directions to draw material out from thehopports and deposit it on tie conveyer belt 21.

The rateof withdrawal of material from eachof the hoppers is regulated by properly positionin the hopper door 13. In this to draw out continuous streams of material way the rate 0 supply be fixed independently of the others.

The belt 21.is actuated from the belt 26 by means of the power belt 34, which passes over the pulleys 32 and 33. The belt 21 discharges onto the belt 26 the materials which have been discharged onto it by the various belts 7, 7. The conveyer belt 26 is actuated from the shaft 40 by means of the power transmitting devices, which have been described. This, beltserves to transport the material discharged onto it 'b the belt 21 and to discharge this material in the hopper 55. j

As shown in Fig. 5, the belts 5.8, 58 serve from opposite sides of the hopper 55. The rates of withdrawal are re lated by the positions of the doors 70, belts 58, 58 the materials are discharged into the troughs 72, 72, where they are eng'aged by the rotating blade 74, '14 and thoroughly mixed. The blades also some to slowly advance the materials to the discharge openings' 82, 82, from which and through the distributing chutes 83, 83 they" pass into the sintering machine supply hoppers 84, 84. During the passage of the ma-' -terials through the troughs-72, 72'they are 'wetted by watersprays from the pipes 79, 79. The streams or strata of materials that are delivered from the several hoppers to the common carrier 21 maintain their several individualities to a suflicient extent althou h there is slight commingling. 'This enab es the attendant to know the characeach other to thevordinary extent (as concerns their proportions of sulfur, silica, &c.) the eye of a practised attendant seeing the separate streams or strata quickly detects any departure from predetermined condi .tions.

he carrier 21 at'its delivers end exposes thedifierent lines or strata of materials to view. If the attendant observes that any one of the materials is being delivered improperly (as concerns either its constitution, quantity or quality) he is ready to in,-

stantly modify the stream .or to shut it of! and start the supply'of another or'others of proper constitution. Or, following the above illustration, if he finds that the ma-.

or each hopper may 0. From the I stream. And thereis practically no interruption in the flow of supply to the holders at 86, through the commingling or mixing devices at 55, 74.

n will be observed that the main con veyer belts 26 and 21 are driven directly and at uniform speeds from the shaft 40.3 'The blades of the mixing and conveying troughs are alsodriven directly from this shaft at uniform speeds. The other parts of the mechanism, including the sintering machine itself, and the feed belts for withdrawing materials from the various hoppers, aredriven from the shaft 42 which is connected .With the shaft 40 by means of the speed cones, which" have been described, or by means of other change speed devices.

In the preliminary adjustment of the mechanism the various hopper doors are set at the proper positions to give the desired 7 uantity and proportion of the desired ores. fter these preliminary adjustments have been made then the speed of the sintering machine can be changed when necessary by means of the speed cones. When any such change is made in the-speed of the sintering machine, then correspondingand proportionate changes are made in the speeds of the belts'beneath the hoppers and the rate of supply of material to. the machine is changed proportionately to its speed without any change in the relative proportions of thevarious initial materials;

-I have herein referred to the fact that this mechanism was originally designed for the producing of a stratum of metal ore fines of the sulfid class the purpose be- 110,

ing to obtain a stratum mass of prede-. termineddjmensions andhomogeneous throughout in respect to the proportions and the distribution of the several chemical ingradients; the purpose being to obtain a [uniform oxidizing of the sulfids and cause it to. effect the desired reactions throughout the mass. 'IBut I do not limit. myself to using this apparatus in treating that particular material, --as it is similarly usable to 1-20 advantage in other work.

For example, in the preliminary preparation of masses of metallic ores of the o'xi'd class and other materials, with which finely reduced. carbon must b'ei -intimately and .125 I homogeneously commingled, a mechanism embodying these imprlov'ements can be used to advantage. Theseoxid ores, as is well known, vary greatly from-each other not onlyas concerns masses thereof obtained from different territories, but as concerns even small masses obtained from the same ore deposit, when compared with each other. And it is necessary to mingle them in a -manner corresponding with their variations in chemical constitution. For example, the native pulverulent ores of iron oxids vary in the way referred to, and it is frequently desirable to commingle with the native ores the artificially formed flue dust, as well ,as

, geneous composite mass, of predetermined dimensions, of fines, from initially delivered strata or streams of predetermined number and volumes and of predetermined varying qualities, the combination of a plurality of initial receptacles adapted to be arranged in respect to their 'eration in one or another set of a series 0 sets, each set composed of a plurality of selected receptacles, a flat conveyer belt at the bottom of each receptacle for the support of the material therein and for withdrawing it there-' from, means for optionally stopping, and

forvaryingthe rate of, the discharge of material from each receptacle independently of the others, a continuously traveling endless conveyer moving transversely to the 'paths of the aforesaid conveyers and having its a receiving side arranged to take the streams or strata deposited by the aforesaid" conveyers and adapted to maintain them as an approximately flat stratified stream and to display the Stratified mam thereon, means for'receiving the said I1. ass, means for break ing up the strata and fc rmingahomogeneous composite mass with the several strata uniformly dlstributed therethrough, and means fol delivering the mass, after being made homogeneous, to a supporting mechanism and for forming a 'straarticles of the tum thereof uniform in depth and, consti- I tution on said supporti: 1g mechanism.

2. In a mechanism f1 |r producing a homo-v geneous composite ma: s of fines, from initially delivered strata or streams of predetermined number and volumes and of predetermined varying; qualities, the com ination of a plurality of initial receptacles adapted to be arranged inrespect to their operation in one or a1 other set of a series of sets, each set compr sed of a plurality of selected receptacles, a fiat conveyer belt at the bottom of each re :eptacle for the su port of the material therein and for wit *1- drawing it therefrom, means for optionally stopping, and for varying the rate of, the discharge of material from each receptacle independently of the others, a con'tinuously traveling endless conveyor moving transversely to the paths of the aforesaid conveyers and having its receiving side arranged to take the stre HHS or strata deposited by the aforesaidconveyers and adapted to maintain them as an approximately flat stratified stream and tr display the Stratified mass. thereon, means lor receiving the said mass, and means for breaking up the strata and forming a homogeneous composite mass with the particles of. the several strata unlformly distributed thorethrou h.

In testimony whereof I a x my s1gna-' ture, in presence of ta 0 witnesses.

HEIi-RY JpSTEHLI.

' Witnesses: o

\ CHAS. L. Mom mun,

ARTHUR S. Dw:;on'r. 

